The view from Left field, politics, entertainment, argument and insight into my world. For Socialism, peace and justice, against racism, sexism, sectarianism, nationalism and discrimination. Avanti Poplo!

Thursday, June 26, 2008

A SHAMEFULL DAY FOR RENFREWSHIRE COUNCIL.

Today was full council and the SNP/Lib. Dem. alliance sunk to new depths. The meeting lasted for 5 hrs. and it started with cringing and squirming and clear signs of panic, why ? Well we witnessed a new way of starting the council meeting as the provost, who at least had the decency to look ashamed spent ten minutes reading out a list of the administration's achievements since we last met, are they panicking or what ? A simiar previous sign of panic was an SNP paper, rushed out to tell everyone how wonderful they are because of the huge well of criticism they were subjected to over the cuts to services they were making, the public though are on to them. As the late ex Councillor Brian Oldrey once said at a meeting baffling everyone "self praise butters no parsnips" he was from London.

Next on the list of shame we saw the SNP / Lib. Dem. cabal awarding an increase of 16.7 % to the highest paid workers in the council, yes we have to print that again, 16.7 % to the already highest paid group on the council, the dept. heads and executives, this takes them through the £100,000/ yr. barrier and means a rise for some of £11,500/yr.The council has low payed staff on approx. £10,000, that means that someone gets a rise which is bigger than another workers salary. This is being done against a backdrop of savage cuts in Education, Elderly Wardens, Nurseries, Libraries and Housing Area Offices to name some of them."Putting the tin lid on it" as they say is the fact that UNISON are balloting for industrial action over a pay offer of 2.5% over 3 years for the other council workers, that's 2.5% a year or for the £10,00 / yr. employee approx. £350 / yr. while our lucky executive gets a rise of £11,500, this is the caring sharing SNP/Lib. Dems. in control folks.

Shameful attempts to justify this farce were made by the administration who are clearly unable to face up to the senior officers, this is the real SNP in action, as I said in the debate "even for the SNP with their flimsy grasp and the Lib. Dems. with no grasp at all of what is right and wrong let alone what is fair and decent, this was scraping the bottom of barrel"The administration's message to it's UNISON members is clear, we don't have any respect for you and 2.5 % a year for the next 3 years is what we think you are worth, i.e less than inflation, they call themselves Scotland's party by the way !

Last but not least was a Labour motion calling on Council Leader Derek MacKay to apologise to past and present council employees and the last administration for saying that they had inherited a 'bankrupt council' as well as writing that the council was in the 'red' when he took control.This is the "big boay done it and ran away" defence, used by him in a most disingenuous way to deflect criticism from him and the administration, his problem for him today was that he was asked to justify his remarks and couldn't.

Council workers and elected members past and present were insulted by his accusation that they were incompetent and left a bankrupt council, needless to say he could not back up any of these insults and resorted to bluster and avoided answering the questions.Numerous attempts were made by the Labour Group to get the opinions of staff as to whether we were ever bankrupt or showing signs of it, not one single source could be found to support what he had said.The absolutely wretched Cllr. McCartin tried to rescue him by saying he meant a "bankruptcy of ideas" which raised the kind of guffaws that only she can raise.Cllr. Mackay and the SNP had a bad day today and there will be more, here and in Holyrood, he showed all the inexperience of a novice by not accepting that he had blundered and only succeeded in making himself look childish.

Which Party describes itself thus ? "We are a left of centre political party" that's right it's the SNP !

Councillor, stop being parochial and think nationally - Wendy becomes the first ever party leader to be suspended, (just as Blair became the first Prime Minister to be questioned by the police) and Labour lose their deposit in Henley.

I think I've died, gone to Heaven and can hear Winston conducting the Choir Celestial! How about you?

Isn't it the case Terry that the 16.7% rise was to put these positions in line with the salaries in other councils for the same posts?

Wasn't it also only just over a year ago that the Labour administration approved a 100% rise for councillors on top of all their SRA payments and the ludicrous expenses of people such as Tommy Williams.

Its a very simple question. With rising debts caused by PPP repayments of £8 million a year, how would a New Labour administration square the budget without resorting to Council Tax hikes that many people in Paisley CANNOT AFFORD in this current climate?

If I have said it once I have said it 100 times, Del Boay McKay is all smoke U Mirrors. The Boay is incompetent. Members in Paisley South SNP are wrenching at his antics.

The Boay has never had a real job in his life and now runs the 5th Biggest Council in Scotland. I think that the Labour Group better get ready for Administration in 3 years time.

The public are not fooled by this cabal of Nats/Lib Dems.

All we have seen is cuts/ junkets/ cuts/ more junkets/ even more cuts/ more gravy/ more junkets.

Terry,

I had to laugh I read an article in the press, and couldn't stop laughing, it was a picture of pint size Brian Lawson, who is knee high to a grass hoper, being sent to Brussels to speak up for the SNP Renfrewshire. Apparently when he got the airport he was asked if he was flying with an adult!!!!!!!!God Save us in Renfrewshire.

Tell that to the school children who have lost their traffic control ladies and those who can’t get the subjects that they need, try telling the school teachers, the UNISON workers who get offered less than inflation while senior officers get a rise of £11,500 per year, the elderly who have had their wardens removed, closed nurseries, libraries etc. etc. it was all labour’s fault, aye right !

I have no respect for the politics of Brian Lawson, Ian Nicolson or Derek Mackay or the SNP but I have no personal feelings toward any of them, that’s sometimes difficult to maintain but I try my best.

Links

I represent Ward 4 Paisley North West. I'm a Socialist who believes in equality, peace and the redistribution of wealth, I opposeRacism, Sexism, Sectarianism, Nationalism and any kind of discrimination. Best wishes for a Socialist future.What appears on this website are my personal views and opinions. Not those of the Labour Party, Renfrewshire Council or anyone else, mine only.

Readers will note the contradiction of having Amazon books here and the more ethical Housman's books above. I have decided to keep it here and continue to pass the renumeration from them to a good Socialist cause.